Yorke Rhodes
National Experience, Grass-Roots Knowledge
National Experience, Grass-Roots Knowledge
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| It's good to celebrate. Yorke Rhodes and Kathleen Schulz in front of Yorke's poster about the Birthday of the New York Section (1891-2001) - 110 years |
| Taking a break from work at the National Meeting in Philadelphia. |
Blending the Lessons of the Past with the Present to Create the Future
My Goals and Vision for ACS are related to the history and changes in ACS of 130 years and can
be used to build a future based on the past.
Tradition: Honor past discoveries.
Education: Teach the young of all ages.
Creativity: Set large goals for our sciences to help humanity.
Innovation: Support innovation in Alternatives for Food, Fuels, Energy and Materials.
History classes were not effective for me. All math and science classes dealt with exciting subjects.
I wanted more. I had an excellent Latin teacher and a superb Chemistry teacher. I found Chemistry
to be fun and I liked Roman history. Later I was thrilled to see the Roman Forum; and chemistry is
still the best game in town. As a graduate student at Illinois I read Churchill’s History of the English
Speaking Peoples and The Second World War. What grammar, what language usage. Late
evening reading was relaxation from graduate learning and research, and learning grammar,
language and leadership, simultaneously An English friend lead me to the Manchester Guardian.
My classes in Scientific German and the need to pass an exam lead to my reading of Die Zeit
(difficult) and Der Spiegel (much easier). I wanted to learn how Germany was changing. From
foreign postdocs at Illinois and Yale I learned about differences in international education.
I’ve had several occasions in my career to be prodded to the historical I didn’t realize it at the time,
but Reynold Fuson, «Speed» Marvel and Roger Adams were role models for me and sometime
advisors. Fuson taught a graduate Organic class and lived in the same building as I did in my first
year, Marvel often stopped in my lab next to Martin’s office on the first floor, on his way home, and
Adams and I became acquainted as he and I were both members of the same fraternity and met
monthly at dinner. What a privelege. Everytime I visit the ACS in Washington, the statue of Carl
Marvel reminds me of that friendship. I learned the Perkin condensation in Fuson’s class, a peculiar
reaction. I learned later that Perkin was quite famous for establishing a new industry. I couldn’t
imagine what. In 2000 I found a small book by Simon Garfield called «Mauve» with a secondary
heading «How one man invented a color that changed the world.» It’s a fascinating, fun read. I doubt
that many students would know today what William Henry Perkin is famous for, or what «Mauve» is
or means to the world. «Chemical Heritage», the magazine of the Chemical Heritage Foundation,
has mauve as the color of the cover of the latest issue (Vol. 23, Issue 3, 2006) and a picture of
Perkin on the cover. A remarkable coincidence for me.
As a graduate student, I found Liebig’s Annalen and enjoyed practicing German reading the
chemistry of the late 19th century, a very different science than the current. As a young faculty
member it came my turn to teach «The Contemporary Chemist», a one-credit, one hour a week
course which covered history of chemistry, use of the literature, preparation for a career and
applications for employment or graduate work. That was the hardest subject I ever taught. I had to
learn a lot because I didn’t have the confidence in my knowledge, as I did in Organic Chemistry. I
was amazed at how much I knew and how little I knew.
Chemical Landmark celebrations teach and I have participated in a few. I visited Joseph Priestley’s
home in Northampton, PA, attended Rockefeller University’s celebration as member of the NY-ACS
History of Chemistry Committee and I spoke at the Landmark celebration of Havemeyer Hall at
Columbia University. We were priveleged to sponsor a Landmark Celebration at New York
University to recognize the first President of ACS, John William Draper, also the first science
Professor at the University, and the founding of ACS in the former building at that site on April 6,
1876 opposite the NE corner of Washington Square Park. That celebration occurred on November
16, 2001, the 125th anniversary of Draper’s Inaugural Address in Chickering Hall. Chickering was a
manufacturer of pianos, one of which I have in my living room, virtually by accident. What a
coincidence. There are historic connections wherever you look. I have a much greater appreciation
and understanding of how chemical science has evolved, and it has helped me often in my teaching.
Yorke E. Rhodes
Tel : 973-875-9799
e-mail : yorke.rhodes@nyu.edu
FAX : 973-875-2307
(Yorke E. Rhodes is retired chemistry professor from New York Uniuversity. He has won student,
alumni and faculty awards for excellence in teaching, and has been honored by Who’s Who among
College Teachers. He’s been visiting professor at Harvard, Hunter College, Freiburg Universitat,
Technische Universitat Munchen, and Universite Grenoble. He was Alexander von Humboldt U.S.
Senior Scientist Awardee at Munich in 1978 and has also had research fellowships at Jet
Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.)
My Goals and Vision for ACS are related to the history and changes in ACS of 130 years and can
be used to build a future based on the past.
Tradition: Honor past discoveries.
Education: Teach the young of all ages.
Creativity: Set large goals for our sciences to help humanity.
Innovation: Support innovation in Alternatives for Food, Fuels, Energy and Materials.
History classes were not effective for me. All math and science classes dealt with exciting subjects.
I wanted more. I had an excellent Latin teacher and a superb Chemistry teacher. I found Chemistry
to be fun and I liked Roman history. Later I was thrilled to see the Roman Forum; and chemistry is
still the best game in town. As a graduate student at Illinois I read Churchill’s History of the English
Speaking Peoples and The Second World War. What grammar, what language usage. Late
evening reading was relaxation from graduate learning and research, and learning grammar,
language and leadership, simultaneously An English friend lead me to the Manchester Guardian.
My classes in Scientific German and the need to pass an exam lead to my reading of Die Zeit
(difficult) and Der Spiegel (much easier). I wanted to learn how Germany was changing. From
foreign postdocs at Illinois and Yale I learned about differences in international education.
I’ve had several occasions in my career to be prodded to the historical I didn’t realize it at the time,
but Reynold Fuson, «Speed» Marvel and Roger Adams were role models for me and sometime
advisors. Fuson taught a graduate Organic class and lived in the same building as I did in my first
year, Marvel often stopped in my lab next to Martin’s office on the first floor, on his way home, and
Adams and I became acquainted as he and I were both members of the same fraternity and met
monthly at dinner. What a privelege. Everytime I visit the ACS in Washington, the statue of Carl
Marvel reminds me of that friendship. I learned the Perkin condensation in Fuson’s class, a peculiar
reaction. I learned later that Perkin was quite famous for establishing a new industry. I couldn’t
imagine what. In 2000 I found a small book by Simon Garfield called «Mauve» with a secondary
heading «How one man invented a color that changed the world.» It’s a fascinating, fun read. I doubt
that many students would know today what William Henry Perkin is famous for, or what «Mauve» is
or means to the world. «Chemical Heritage», the magazine of the Chemical Heritage Foundation,
has mauve as the color of the cover of the latest issue (Vol. 23, Issue 3, 2006) and a picture of
Perkin on the cover. A remarkable coincidence for me.
As a graduate student, I found Liebig’s Annalen and enjoyed practicing German reading the
chemistry of the late 19th century, a very different science than the current. As a young faculty
member it came my turn to teach «The Contemporary Chemist», a one-credit, one hour a week
course which covered history of chemistry, use of the literature, preparation for a career and
applications for employment or graduate work. That was the hardest subject I ever taught. I had to
learn a lot because I didn’t have the confidence in my knowledge, as I did in Organic Chemistry. I
was amazed at how much I knew and how little I knew.
Chemical Landmark celebrations teach and I have participated in a few. I visited Joseph Priestley’s
home in Northampton, PA, attended Rockefeller University’s celebration as member of the NY-ACS
History of Chemistry Committee and I spoke at the Landmark celebration of Havemeyer Hall at
Columbia University. We were priveleged to sponsor a Landmark Celebration at New York
University to recognize the first President of ACS, John William Draper, also the first science
Professor at the University, and the founding of ACS in the former building at that site on April 6,
1876 opposite the NE corner of Washington Square Park. That celebration occurred on November
16, 2001, the 125th anniversary of Draper’s Inaugural Address in Chickering Hall. Chickering was a
manufacturer of pianos, one of which I have in my living room, virtually by accident. What a
coincidence. There are historic connections wherever you look. I have a much greater appreciation
and understanding of how chemical science has evolved, and it has helped me often in my teaching.
Yorke E. Rhodes
Tel : 973-875-9799
e-mail : yorke.rhodes@nyu.edu
FAX : 973-875-2307
(Yorke E. Rhodes is retired chemistry professor from New York Uniuversity. He has won student,
alumni and faculty awards for excellence in teaching, and has been honored by Who’s Who among
College Teachers. He’s been visiting professor at Harvard, Hunter College, Freiburg Universitat,
Technische Universitat Munchen, and Universite Grenoble. He was Alexander von Humboldt U.S.
Senior Scientist Awardee at Munich in 1978 and has also had research fellowships at Jet
Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.)
